


The Fifth Saint

by ThunderW0lf



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: AU, Battle, Fire Emblem Spoilers, Gen, Magic, Mystery, Original Characters - Freeform, School, Spoilers, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:41:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThunderW0lf/pseuds/ThunderW0lf
Summary: It is Imperial Year 1180. A new term is about to commence at the Officer's Academy. Due to an abnormally large number of students applying, something unprecedented has happened. An official Fourth House has been created. Iona Louise Daphnel, a young mage from the Leicester Alliance, has enrolled at the academy with her close friend Greer MacAra, to further develop her magic skills...or so she says. In actual fact, she has enrolled for one purpose and one purpose only. To unravel the mystery behind the Fifth Saint.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Welcome to Garreg Mach

It was an unusually hot day for March. The sun blazed down on the land, warming everything it touched. There was only a scattering of clouds in the sky. The sweat-inducing heat was offset by a cool, light breeze that danced through the air. Iona raised her sweaty hand to her forehead to shelter her eyes from the sun and looked up. They were finally here. Garreg Mach Monastery. It was bigger than she had imagined. The sunlight lit up the great stone walls. The stone pieces were a light grey colour. A sharp blast of wind crashed into the walls, knocking off a sprinkling of dust. Iona grimaced. If it was dusty on the outside, there’s a chance it would be on the inside too. She imagined waking up in her dorm room, coated with a blanket of dust, coughing and gasping for breath. For a brief moment she wished she had never left her home. Iona shook the thought out of her head. Greer appeared at her side, her soft hair lightly brushing her arm.

“Wow! It’s HUGE!” she shouted excitedly. She took a few steps forward, examining the Monastery even closer. “Those walls look high. Do you think anyone has scaled them? It doesn’t look too difficult.”

Iona scoffed and shook her head. “We have only laid eyes on this place for a couple of seconds and you are already planning to cause trouble. What am I going to do with you?”

Greer giggled. “What?! You don’t think I could? Surely it would make for good training. How can the teachers refuse?”

“No, Greer. We’re not at Castle Daphnel anymore. This place is run by the Church. It’s old and the people who manage this place are…well, let’s just say they would certainly frown upon such behaviour. And I would end up having to clean up the mess.”

Greer let out a small sigh and crossed her arms. Iona couldn’t see her face, but she could tell she was sulking. Iona rolled her eyes. She gave her arm a small nudge with her elbow. “Come on. I bet the food here is to die for. We can try food from all over Fodlan! Let’s go sort out our rooms and then have something to eat.”

Greer tried to maintain her sulky face but couldn’t hold it. Her face cracked into a cheeky grin and she wrapped her arm around Iona’s. “Okay! Food and THEN we can start planning how to climb these walls.”

The pair made their way up the dusty, stone path which lead to the front gate. The large wooden doors must have been at least 25ft high. Perhaps taller. They creaked as they slowly opened. A young knight greeted them and showed them inside. They were escorted through a small marketplace. Their senses were overloaded. Loud clangs rang across the courtyard as a woman slammed her hammer down on a smouldering piece of metal. Sparks flew off as the hammer came down on it. Knights and merchants were chattering, hiring battalions and buying items from the stalls. As they walked a bit further the pungent smell of fruits, vegetables, and fish filled their nostrils. Greer began to salivate.

When they reached the top of the steps, they were greeted by a man with green hair and eyes wearing a blue tunic, and matching trousers. Even his cloak was blue. The tunic and cloak were decorated with a swirly, gold pattern. There was something about this man. A sense of familiarity. Yet Iona was sure this was the first time she had laid eyes on him. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the man. The knight and the man exchanged a few words before the knight bowed and left. The green-haired man turned to face Iona and Greer and smiled.

“Good morning. Welcome to Garreg Mach Monastery. I hope your journey was a pleasant one. My name is Seteth. I am the Archbishop’s aid and the Chief Administrator of the Officer’s Academy. I humbly welcome you both.”

He gave a deep bow and then quickly straightened himself up again. He was awfully rigid in both his posture and the way he spoke. It seemed like he was out of place in this current day and age.

Iona and Greer both bowed back and introduced themselves. “My name is Iona Louise Daphnel, and this here is Greer MacAra. We’re both from House Daphnel in the Leicester Alliance.”

“I am well aware,” said Seteth. “I received both of your applications. Again, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Now, before you meet your professors and fellow classmates, you need to sign a few forms. It’s nothing serious. Just a few trivial agreements we are required to issue to new students. After that, I shall take you to your dormitories. At around 1400 hours someone will come and collect you and bring you to the main hall. There we will have the welcome address and your Houses will be announced. Any questions?”

Iona and Greer both shook their heads.

“Very well. If you’ll follow me, please.”

After Iona and Greer signed their forms, Seteth showed them to their dorm rooms. Greer was on the ground level whilst Iona was on the first floor. Apparently even here the Nobles were given preferential treatment. As soon as Seteth left, Iona collapsed on her bed, causing the springs to screech as they repeatedly extended and recoiled as she shifted her weight. She was exhausted. She closed her eyes. She could feel the light breeze coming through the window. The sound of birds tweeting filled the air. It was quite pleasant. Quite relaxing. Iona could easily fall asleep then and there. A few moments passed. Iona bolted upright and slapped her cheeks. This was no time to rest. The welcoming ceremony was going to begin soon. Iona had only 30 minutes to unpack. She jumped up and began to open her cases and sort through her belongings.

Iona was nearly finished when she heard a knock at her door. She frowned. Greer wasn’t the type to knock. Who could it be? She opened the door. Before her stood Greer accompanied by a young man. He was average height with tanned skin and short brown hair. He had a braid down the right side of his face and wore an earring in his left ear. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green and he had a devilish grin on his face.

“Well, hello there, My Lady.” He winked as he widened his grin.

“Claude?!” Iona was taken aback. She blushed slightly. This always happened when Claude sneaked up on her. “What are you doing here? Did you enrol too?”

“Indeed! Duke Riegan insisted that I go and get a formal education. He seems to think that I spent my childhood running around and climbing trees and the such. Well, he’s not entirely wrong. As the legitimate heir to House Riegan, I am expected to act properly, like a gentleman. So, here I am. Enough about me, what about you? I didn’t expect you to enrol here.”

“I want to improve my magic. This school has a good reputation. And Greer here followed me.”

Greer grinned widely. Claude chuckled. “Of course,” he said. “Iona and Greer. You two are inseparable. How long until Greer starts to make trouble?” He winked again.

“Not long. She’s already talking about climbing the walls!”

“Like I said, it’s good training!” said Greer. “Claude, do you know when dinner is? I’m so hungryyyyy!” Greer clutched her stomach and contracted her stomach. She made another sulky face and looked up at Claude, giving him her best puppy dog look.

Claude laughed. “Soon, Lady Greer, soon. After the welcoming ceremony. I heard it’s going to be a grand feast! Speaking of which, the ceremony is about to commence. Let’s go.”

The trio skipped down to the Main Hall. On the way, they caught up, talking about all they had done since they last spoke. Iona and Greer had only met Claude a year ago when he mysteriously turned up out of the blue. House Daphnel and House Riegan were on good terms, so Iona saw Claude regularly. And of course, Greer tagged along. Despite only knowing each other for such a short amount of time, they all got on very well.

Greer gasped when they turned the corner and grasped Iona’s hand, scratching it slightly. Iona scowled and pulled her hand out of Greer’s grasp, looking inside the room as she did. The Main Hall was ginormous. The ceiling was so high you had to crane your neck to see the top. The walls were littered with candles which were softly burning. There were small puddles on the floor where drops of wax fell. The air was dry and musty. The smell of candle wax and smoke filled their nostrils. The hall was filled with chairs and tables which were laid out ready for the welcoming ceremony. The room was filled with people. The hall echoed with chatter. These must be the other students. Iona and Greer scanned the room looking for people they knew. They spotted Lysithea of House Ordelia and Lord Goneril’s daughter, Hilda. Margrave Edmund’s daughter was there too. And Lorenz. Greer wrinkled her nose when she spotted him. She did not like him one bit. Iona saw her expression and chuckled.

“Come on. Let’s find a seat,” said Iona as she strode forward. She found a space at the back of the hall next to Hilda and Lysithea. They all greeted each other and chatted. The conversation mainly revolved around their first impressions of the Monastery and, of course, the size of their dorm rooms. It wasn’t long before a bell began to toll. The room fell silent and all eyes turned to face the front of the hall. There was a quick scuffle as everyone took their seats. At the front of the hall stood Seteth. He waited a few seconds until he was sure everyone was settled. He cleared his throat and then addressed the room.

“My Lords, Ladies, Gentlemen, and Ladyfolk, welcome to Garreg Mach Monastery. I’m sure you are all anxious to find out which House you will be in. But before then, the Archbishop would like to address you. Please, allow me to introduce Lady Rhea, The Archbishop and Head of the Church of Seiros.”

He began to clap and the people in the room followed suit. Lady Rhea emerged from around the corner. She wore a long, white, fitted dress which trailed slightly on the floor behind her. She wore a purple and gold cloak over the top. A gold tiara rested on her head, holding her long, light green hair in place. She walked impossibly gracefully. It was like she wasn’t walking at all but gliding across the room. Her back was as straight as an arrow. Such perfect posture. She held her hands in front of her, one hand in front of the other. She had a small, gentle smile on her face. Her green eyes scanned the room. Iona eyes narrowed slightly. So, this was Rhea.

“My students. Welcome. Thank you all for coming. I’m overcome with joy to welcome each and every one of you. I have no doubt you will all grow into exceptional young adults during your time here. Here at Garreg Mach, we welcome people from all over Fodlan and beyond. Here you will be able to expand your knowledge and make lifelong bonds with your classmates. I have no doubt that with our professor’s guidance, you can achieve all you desire and continue to make Fodlan a peaceful, prosperous place. A land of opportunity.”

There was a small applause from the audience. Rhea smiled and then continued.

“This year will be unlike any other. The Officer’s Academy prides itself on having three wonderful Houses. The Black Eagles, The Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer. However, this year will see the founding of a new House. A House made up of students from all over Fodlan. This House’s name shall be The Red Dragons.”

There was another smattering of applause.

“So, without further ado, allow me to present the Four Houses’ class leaders. When I call out your name, please stand and make your way to the front.”

“This years’ Black Eagle House Leader is none other than Edelgard von Hresvelg of the Adestrian Imperial family.”

There was a round of applause as a young woman with white hair stood up. She was short but strode to the front with confidence. A tall man with black hair that hugged his jawline stood up as he clapped vigorously. The young woman gave Rhea a quick bow and then turned around to face the room. She had light purple eyes. Strong eyes. Unwavering eyes. Eyes that said she was hiding something. The clapping gradually faded and the man with black hair stood down.

“The Blue Lion House Leader is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.”

More applause. This time a tall man with broad shoulders stood up. He had short blonde hair that dangled in front of his eyes. His eyes were a striking blue colour. They were quite mesmerising. He gave a little wave to the audience and the applause died down again.

“The Golden Deer House Leader is Claude von Riegan, heir to House Riegan.”

Iona and Greer smiled and cheered for Claude. As Claude stood up, he winked at them and made his way to the front. There was some whispering amongst the applause. Some looked surprised. Others intrigued. And others, like Lorenz, had a face full of rage and disgust. This was to be expected. He was the heir who came out of thin air. A lot of people had their doubts and speculations. Claude bowed to Rhea and then turned around. He shot a glance towards where Iona and the others were sitting and grinned.

Silence fell. Anticipation filled the room. The Fourth House leader was about to be announced. It was an unprecedented event. Who was going to lead such a house? Everyone waited with bated breath as Rhea stepped forward to announce the last house leader.

“The Red Dragon House Leader is…Iona Louise Daphnel, daughter of Dafydd von Daphnel.”

There was shock and surprise as the students whispered and looked around, trying to find this mysterious house leader. Iona and her family weren’t particularly well known outside of the Alliance. Greer grinned and gave Iona a big clap on the back. Hilda and Lysithea looked surprised but clapped and supported Iona. Iona took a deep breath and exhaled as she stood up. As she made her way to the front, the students around her clapped whilst exchanging looks with each other and whispering. All eyes were on Iona. She didn’t like it. She felt uncomfortable. She was stiff with nerves. She felt her hands become all clammy. She kept tripping over her own feet as she walked. She kept diverting her eyes away from everyone until she caught Claude’s eye who smiled and winked at her, clapping with his arms stretched out in front of him. He gave her a little nod. Iona nervously smiled and nodded back. Claude’s support gave her strength. She squared her shoulders and pressed forward until she reached the front. She found herself standing in front of Rhea. Their eyes locked. She felt the same sense of familiarity she’d felt when she had met Seteth. Her eyes were a similar shade of green to Iona’s. However, the pressure her eyes exerted was overbearing. She bowed to Rhea, breaking eye contact with her. Iona then turned around and gave a little bow to the audience. The applause faded away.

“There you have it. These are your House Leaders. I can already tell that this year is going to be unlike any other.”

Rhea addressed the room for a few more minutes and then signalled for the Grand Welcoming Feast to begin. Iona and Claude sat down at a table in the back of the room with Greer, Hilda, Lysithea, and young boy called Ignatz. They laughed and cheered and celebrated together. They ate until they could eat no more. The celebrations slowly died down and students returned to their rooms. They had a few days off before their classes commenced. In a few days they would be introduced to their new classmates and their new professors. With four classes comes four professors and, of those professors, two of them were brand new.


	2. The Red Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Iona's first day of class. She and Greer don their new uniforms and head to the classroom to meet their new classmates and their new professor. However, things get off to a shaky start.

Monday came around in a flash. Today, Iona would finally meet her new classmates and her professor. Iona had never experienced school before. Back home in the Leicester Alliance, as she was a noble, she was home-schooled. Her teacher would come to her house and teach her one-on-one. Professor Randolph was his name. He was a short, chubby old man with a round face. His lack of facial hair made him look a little bit like an overgrown baby. He had thin, greying hair which stuck up on top of his head. He spoke with a very high, squeaky voice which Iona found highly amusing, especially when he got excited about a topic he was teaching. He was a kind, gentle man but his knowledge was limited to just basic studies. Iona’s mother, Caron, taught her magic and tactics, while her father taught her swordplay. There was only so much she could learn from them. It seemed inevitable that she’d come here. She began to ponder. What was her new professor like? What will she learn? More magic? Or perhaps she would discover she had a budding talent for something else. A wave of excitement washed over her.

Iona dashed across her room and threw open her wardrobe. It was time she donned her new uniform. Majority of the girls uniforms here consisted of skirts and corsets which weren’t her style at all. However, she was lucky enough to find a pair of trousers. She pulled on her slim leg black trousers and paraded them in front of the mirror. They were a little short for her, resting a few inches above her ankles, but that was okay. She slipped on a pair of low-heel black ankle boots which came to a little above her ankles, leaving a thin strip of skin showing between her boots and her trousers. She then put on her jacket. It was black with golden tassels on the upper part of her three-quarter length sleeves. Golden threads wove in a line from the collar all the way down to the waist. There were swirls of golden thread all over the chest of the jacket too, zigzagging across each other. She buttoned it up and examined herself. She was happy with how it looked. All that was left was her cape.

As the leader of the Red Dragon House, she was required to wear a shoulder cape. She picked the garment up off her bed and examined it. It was a dark, emerald green. She frowned. Why was it green? Surely red would have been a better fit. It turned out that red had already been taken by the Black Eagle House. Iona sighed. At least it matched her green hair. She flung it over her left shoulder and fastened it to her jacket. It was surprisingly light weight and soft. Iona was nearly ready. She pulled on a pair of thin, black gloves her mother gave her as a parting gift and then tied her sword belt around her waist. Her father wasn’t a well known or powerful lord in the Leicester Alliance but he was respected. He had built a reputation for being a master swordsman. He’d had a new sword forged for Iona before she left. It was long, thin, and light weight. It was made using a rare mineral found in Ailell. She slid the sword into its sheath, examined herself one last time in the mirror, and headed out.

Greer was waiting for her on the steps outside. She was sat down on the bottom step, fiddling with her uniform. She had chosen to wear a pair of baggy, black shorts. A white blouse was tucked into her shorts and she wore black brace straps over the top. Her jacket was tied around her waist by the sleeves. She wore long, emerald green socks that went up to her knees and a pair of black brogues. Her long, brown hair was tied back into a ponytail. And, without fail, she wore her brown archer’s gloves. She looked around at Iona and grinned.

“How long have you been stood there starin’ at me?!”

“Long enough, “replied Iona. “Nice outfit. It suits you.”

“I know right?! It took me a while to decide what to wear. I like your outfit, too.” A large grin spread across her face. “Nice shoulder cape!”

Iona frowned slightly and looked down at her cape. “What’s wrong with it? You always liked the ones my father wore.”

“Yeah, but I ain’t never seen you wear one. You actually look like a lord!” She stood up and bowed so deeply her head was practically touching her knees.

“Stop messing around, we’re going to be late. Let’s go!” Greer straightened up and nodded her head, her grin still fixed in place. She skipped to Iona’s side and they headed towards their new classroom. A mixture of excitement and anxiety began to set in. 

As the pair made their way to their new classroom, they encountered many students all wearing their new uniforms. They walked through the courtyard, passing the other Houses’ classrooms. Red, blue, and yellow flags were hung up on the walls outside. It was so bright and colourful, a stark contrast to the rest of Garreg Mach Monastery. The Red Dragon house was located in a different area. They entered the main hall and turned right up the stone steps. They took another right at the top of the staircase and right again. They walked down the corridor, passing the teachers’ rooms. Iona resisted the temptation of peering inside and continued to face straight ahead. The same could not be said for Greer, who stuck her head inside every room they passed. At the end of the corridor they turned left and followed it round until they reached a room on the right. They stopped in their tracks and stared at the door. The new Red Dragon house flag was pinned to the outside. It was their first time seeing it. The top left corner of the flag was cream, and the bottom right was green. In the middle was a black dragon. The dragon was forward facing and reared back on its hind legs, its wings outstretched. Its neck twisted to the right, red flames shooting from its mouth into the cream-coloured corner.

“Its beautiful,” said Iona.

She stretched out her hand to touch it when the door opened. Iona jumped and dropped her hand back by her side. A young man peered out from behind the door. He was tall and had long blonde hair which sat lightly on his shoulders. He had the most beautiful bright blue eyes in Fodlan. He froze when he saw Iona and Greer. His expression was one of mild surprise. He blinked madly for a few seconds before relaxing into a gentle smile.

“Ah, you must be the house leader. Iona…Lou-Louis…Lorise…,” the young man said, starting to blush slightly from embarrassment. Iona stepped forward and stuck out her hand.

“I’m Iona Louise Daphnel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The young man, thankful for her intervention, smiled and shook her hand.

“My name is Charles von Lyon of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. The pleasure is all mine.” He then turned to face Greer and offered his hand to her. Greer took it and introduced herself.

“I’m Greer MacAra. Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise.” He released Greer’s hand and gestured towards the room. “We’ve been waiting for you. Only the professor is missing. Come on in. We can properly introduce ourselves now.”

Iona nodded and made her way into the classroom with Greer and Charles following behind. The classroom was fairly small. The walls, like everywhere else, were made of stone. The ceiling was held up using thick wooden beams. A large chandelier hung from a large beam that crossed above the centre of the room. There were a few windows along the wall on the right-side. Beams of light flooded through and lit the room, revealing the small particles of dust that floated around the room usually concealed by the darkness. A small, shabby black board stood at the front of the classroom. Dark wooden tables and benches littered the room. One large table sat at the front of the classroom, covered in papers, pens and a brown satchel. Sat down at one of the tables were the other Red Dragon students. They stood up as Iona and Greer walked in and moved to greet them. The first person to introduce themselves was a tall, stout man with short brown hair and golden-brown eyes.

“Hi there! I’m Ianus. Ianus Kline. I come from a family of knights in the Adestrian Empire.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Iona Louise Daphnel, and this is Greer MacAra. We both hail from the Leicester Alliance.” The young man smiled toothily and shook their hands.

Next to come forward was a short, pale woman with a short purple bob and matching lilac eyes. She had broad, muscular shoulders and her back was unnaturally straight. She was a little intimidating. She bowed and introduced herself.

“My name’s Alexandra Cirillo, but everyone calls me Alex. I’m from a merchant family in the Kingdom.”

Next to introduce themselves was a woman with long, wavy brown hair. It was so long it reached her hips, and it was decorated with colourful flowers which weaved in and out of her thick hair. Her eyes were a dark purple. She seemed very uncomfortable.

“My name is Margaret Beaufort of the Adestrian Empire. It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My family owns the most land in the Empire. We have close ties with the Imperial family.” 

Charles popped up his hand and added “I forgot to add, I’m from a noble family, too. House Lyon. We’re related to House Gautier. Have you heard of them?”

Iona nodded. “Yes, my family has met with the Gautiers on a few occasions. I believe their youngest son is here at the academy.”

Charles nodded, the smile on his face widening. “Yes, that’s right. Sylvain Jose Gautier. I’m good friends with him. I also know a few other nobles from the Kingdom. I can introduce you to them.”

Iona nodded in appreciation and turned to the last two in the room.

The first to speak was a young man of average height with black hair and green eyes. His skin was unusually pale, and he wore unusually thin clothing.

“Hai! My name is Aldich, Aldrich Jager. I’m the youngest prince of Albinea. This is my first ever visit to Fodlan so please excuse my excitement.”

Iona took his hand and shook it. “You’re from Albinea? My mother lived there for a while before I was born. She’ll be excited to know that a member of the royal family is here. Is Londinium still the capital?”

Aldrich’s eyes widened slightly before he broke into a smile. “Yes, it is! That’s where I was born. I didn’t expect to meet someone who had connections with Albinea here. I look forward to talking with you more.”

The last member of the house was a short boy with tanned skin and messy brown hair that stuck up on top of his head. He had bright, red eyes which contrasted nicely with his skin. He looked even younger than Greer.

“I’m Lee Ashton. I’m a mage from Morfis. Nice t’ meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” replied Iona.

“Well, it looks like everyone is acquainted with one another,” said Charles. “We have quite an interesting mix of people here.”

“Oh, please. Really, Charles? How can you call these people ‘interesting’? I can’t believe they allowed commoners and foreigners into the Officer’s Academy. What kind of nonsense is this?” scoffed Margaret. 

Alex’s fists clenched and she took a step towards Margaret. Charles’ hand reached out in front of her and stopped her from taking another step forward.

“Now, now, Margaret. Let’s not be rude. These are your classmates. Please try to get along.”

“Humph.” Margaret folded her arms and turned away to look outside the window. “Why should I get along? Its only a matter of time before they are killed. They’re nothing but fodder.”

“What did you say?!” Alex moved to break free from Charles’ grip. Charles tried to put his other hand in front of her, but she had already broken free. Iona, Greer, and Ianus all spurred into action, moving forwards to try and block Alex’s path. Just as all hell was about to break loose, the door slammed open, causing everyone to freeze and strain their necks to see who had entered the room.

In the doorway stood a tall woman. She had short brown hair that just about reached her chin and lightly tanned skin. Her eyes were bright orange and seemed to glow like fireflies. She wore a white shirt that was mostly hidden underneath a black corset. She wore a pair of green trousers and black boots that came all the way up to her thighs. She wore a green, hooded jacket over the top of her shirt and corset. A long, silver lance poked up from behind her. It seemed to be strapped onto her back using a black belt that hung on her left shoulder. She scanned the room, eyeing up the students before her.

“You’ve been in class for mere minutes and you’re already fighting each other? Well, this is a good start. Sit down.”

No one had to be told twice. There was a small scuffle as everyone rushed to find a seat and then silence filled the room. The woman walked towards the front of the class. Her footsteps echoed off the stone walls. The atmosphere was tense. She reached the front and turned to face the students, her feet shoulder-width apart.

“I’m Professor Riona, your teacher for this year. I’m going to lay it to you straight. I didn’t ask for this teaching gig. I’m doing this on Lady Rhea’s orders. I’d much rather be out on the battlefield, not babysitting some bratty kids. So, do as I say, and you may just learn something. Don’t like how I do things? Then leave. Transfer to another class. However, just so that you know, class transfers can’t be authorised until the Garland Moon. Now, which one of you is Iona Louise Daphnel?”

Iona stood up quickly, knocking over her bench chair. “Here, Professor.”

“You’re the house leader, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Which means you’re in charge of the class, right?”

“Y-Yes, Professor.”

“Then why did you allow a fight to break out?”

“I-…”

“It’s because you’re weak.”

“…Yes, Professor.” Iona diverted her eyes downwards. This was so embarrassing. She could feel anger beginning to swell up inside of her. Anger at her Professor. Anger at her classmates. But mostly anger at herself for allowing things to escalate. Professor Riona was right. She was the leader. It was up to her to lead and control her classmates.

Professor Riona sighed. “As punishment, I’m assigning you to stable duty for the week. You may pick another student to join you, so long as they aren’t from your region. Let this be a lesson to you all. I won’t allow this kind of behaviour in my classroom. If this happens again, it’s your leader who will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“You may sit down.”

Professor Riona pulled out a bunch of papers from the satchel that was sat on the table near the blackboard. She handed them out to all the students.

“Fill this in. You have 15 minutes.”

The students picked up an ink pen from one of the containers on the desks and began to fill in the sheet. The atmosphere was unbearably uncomfortable. What was supposed to be a fun, exciting day had quickly turned into a nightmare. Thoughts of quitting kept flooding Iona’s mind as she fought back tears. No. She came here for a reason. There was no way something like this would scare her off. She shook the thoughts out of her head. She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and glared at the paper in front of her. She forced out a smile and started to write. Her resolve was being tested, and there was no way Iona was going to lose. 


	3. The Lion, the Deer, and the Stables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Thursday. The four houses are nearly through their first week at the Officers Academy. Iona and Greer catch up with Claude. They trade information on their new Professors, Byleth and Riona. Iona later joins Charles for stable duty. Charles and Iona open up a little about their families. Charles, a Kingdom noble, introduces Iona to his childhood friends Dimitri, Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid.

It was Thursday. Iona hadn’t seen Claude since the Opening Ceremony. After a long morning of lectures, Iona and Greer headed to the Dining Hall for a spot of lunch. The hall was pretty full at this time of day. There was a long queue at the far end of the hall. After about a 5-minute wait, Iona and Greer reached the front. There was a long table, about 4 metres long, covered with different foods. Greer began to salivate. She rushed over to the middle and started piling meat and vegetables onto her plate. Once it was full, she grabbed a smaller plate and filled it with freshly baked bread and some butter. Iona wasn’t feeling that hungry. She picked up a bowl and spooned in some vegetable pasta and picked up a small roll of bread to accompany it.

After selecting the food they wanted, the duo went to go and find a seat. As they were searching, a hand poked up into the air and waved them over. It was Claude. He was sat on his own at the back of the room. Iona and Greer hurried over to join him.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the leader of the Red Dragon House. Long time, no see. Care to join me?”

“I would be honoured, Lord Riegan,” teased Iona. She and Greer sat down and began to tuck into their meals. “So, how are your classes going? What’s your professor like?”

“Professor Byleth? It’s early days. He is a new and very young professor. He could easily be the same age as me. He is the son of a legendary knight called Jeralt. Have you heard of him?”

“The name rings bell.”

“Jeralt? You mean Jeralt the Blade Breaker?” asked Greer.

“Yes, that’s the one. He used to be a Knight of Seiros but some 20 years ago he left and became a mercenary. He and his son, Byleth, were highly regarded and feared.”

“Do you think Professor Byleth got the job because of his father’s status?” asked Iona.

“Well, I’m not ruling out the possibility. But even if he is the son of Jeralt, I don’t think that is a valid reason to make him a professor. Surely it would be more logical to make Jeralt the professor, no? But Lady Rhea picked his son instead.” 

“Jeralt is a legend. My father used to tell me stories about him. He is most renowned mercenary in Fodlan. Professor Byleth, too. They call him the Ashen Demon. I wonder if he’d let me spar with him! He’d be no match against my archery skills.” Excitement began to build up inside of Greer. Greer grew up on Iona’s land. Her parents worked for Iona’s, doing chores around the castle, hunting, attending to the gardens, and acting as bodyguards. Greer often helped her parents, especially with hunting. She could use a variety of weapons, but her weapon of choice was the bow. She practiced and practiced every day, honing her skills. Not only that, she had some of the sharpest eyes in Fodlan. She could hit a fly from over 30 metres away. She always thirsted for a challenge.

Claude laughed. “Now that would be an entertaining fight. However, I believe he would have the upper hand.”

“What?! You can’t be serious! Just you watch! I’ll make him yield.”

“Haha, I truly admire your fighting spirit. But, you must learn to recognise when you’re in a losing situation. Until now, you’ve only ever fought wild animals and Alliance soldiers.”

“Just wild animals and Alliance soldiers? I’ll have you know th- “. Iona stamped hard on Greer’s foot. Greer let out a small grunt. She had gotten carried away. She gave a small cough before finishing her sentence. “That the animals I hunt are far bigger and faster than some random school Professor.”

Claude’s eyes tightened slightly. “Professor Byleth is different. Even after only training with him for a few days, I can tell that there is something special about him. He is a seasoned fighter. He seems to be able to wield any weapon he touches with little trouble. And he can even use magic. I have to admit, if he turned on me, I wouldn’t fancy my chances.”

“He’s that strong?” asked Iona. She was intrigued by this professor.

“Yep. And I believe he is capable of even more. To be honest, it’s hard to get a read on him. He doesn’t speak much. And his face rarely reflects any emotion.”

“Hmm…he sounds interesting. I’d like to meet him.”

“You will. At the end of the month, in fact. I heard our classes are teaming up for the mission this month. I’ll get to meet your professor, too. Speaking of which, what is she like?”

“Professor Riona? She’s…well…”

“She’s a *****,” said Greer, her hands clenched.

“Shhh! Greer! Don’t say things like that in public.”

“But she is!”

“O-ho. Is she really that bad? I had heard rumours, but I thought for sure they couldn’t be true,” said Claude. His eyes lit up. He had a hunger for secrets and gossip. He leaned in to hear more.

Iona sighed. “Well, let’s just say our first meeting didn’t go very smoothly. “

Greer scoffed. Claude’s eyes darted back and to between Iona to Greer.

“What happened?” He asked.

“There was a little scuffle between some of my classmates and she walked in and spotted us. As House Leader, she pinned all the blame on me. I have to do stable duty all week.”

“And that’s not all,” butted in Greer. “She said she didn’t even want to teach. Honestly, I don’t get why she’s here!”

“Hmm…perhaps Lady Rhea forced her to,” mused Claude.

“Perhaps,” replied Iona. “But why?”

“You said her name was Riona, right? Well, I heard there was a Knight of Seiros who went by that name. She was powerful. An asset to the church. But during the Tragedy of Duscur there were rumours of an incident and Riona was taken off the front lines and removed from service. She hasn’t been seen since.”

“An incident you say…I wonder what happened.”

“No idea. But I’m sure if you dig around, you’ll find out.”

“Ha. I’m not you, Claude.” Iona looked up at the clock. It was nearly 1pm. “Damn. I have stable duty in 5 minutes. I have to go. See you both later. Stay out of trouble!”

“Trouble? Who do you think you’re talking to?” teased Claude.

“I never get in trouble,” said Greer, grinning.

Iona waved them goodbye, dropped off her dishes, and headed out for the stables.

Iona had had a different classmate help her each day of the week. Alex helped her on Monday, Margaret on Tuesday (which was awkward to say the least), and Ianus on Wednesday. Today, Charles was helping her. He had already started taking out the equipment when she reached the stables. She ran the last few metres and began to help take out the last of the equipment.

“Sorry I’m late, Charles.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I only just got here myself.” He was smiling. He was always smiling. Iona had never known anyone to smile so much. It unnerved her a little bit. She nodded in response and helped him carry the equipment inside.

Stable duty basically meant cleaning out the stables. The church kept their horses there and they needed cleaning every day. They had to clear out all the horse droppings and spoiled hay, and then refill the stables with fresh hay. It was a task that usually took a few hours. Charles and Iona quickly got to work. They each picked up a rake and began to scrape out all the droppings, manoeuvring them into a pile near the door. There was silence accept for the sound of metal rakes being dragged across the stone floor. After a short while, Charles broke the silence.

“Iona, if I may, I want to apologise for getting you into this mess.”

Iona stopped raking and looked up, puzzled.

“Apologise? What for? You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, you tried the hardest out of us all to stop the fight. That job was not yours to bear.”

“No, you’re wrong. I should have done more. I should have warned you. Before you arrived, tensions were already high. If I had told you sooner, we could have perhaps avoided this outcome. I’m so terribly sorry.”

“Charles, please. It’s fine. I’m the leader. The actions of the class are mine to shoulder. I should have noticed something wasn’t right and I didn’t. This is my fault, so please, don’t blame yourself.”

Charles looked down, a small, sad smile on his face. “You’re too kind.”

Iona gave him a little nudge. “No, you’re too hard on yourself. Have you always been like this?”

Charles continued to look down at the floor. “I guess so.”

“You said you are from the Kingdom, yes? What’s your family like?”

“My family?” Charles looked up at Iona. “Of course. As I mentioned earlier, my family, House Lyon, is related to House Gautier. My father is a cousin of the current Margrave Gautier. Their house is strong and they carry a powerful crest. Members of my family also bear the same crest so we hold some power in the Kingdom.”

“Do you have a crest?”

“Yes, I have a minor Crest of Gautier. I’m also my father’s oldest son so he is very happy. My younger sister also has a crest, but my younger brother doesn’t. My father is old. He married late. These days he finds it difficult to do his duties. He wants me to take his place, so he sent me here to train and to find a wife. Lots of noble families with crests send their children here so it’s a good place to find one.”

“Is that what you want?”

“My father is a wonderful man. Strong and full of compassion. He leads his people well. I would be honoured to take his place as head of the family.”

“And to find marry a woman with a Crest? It might be difficult to find a suitable woman. The number of people who bear a Crest diminishes with each generation. You may not have a huge amount of choice.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to help secure my family’s future. Anyway, enough about me. What about you? You’re from House Daphnel, is that right?”

“Correct,” replied Iona. “My father is Dafydd von Daphnel. He’s Judith von Daphnel’s younger brother. He doesn’t have a crest so he doesn’t have much standing in the Leicester Alliance. But, that didn’t stop him. He trained at Garreg Mach and learned swordsmanship. He trained so hard and for so long. Now he is the best Swordsman in the Leicester Alliance. They call him the Sword of Daphnel. He is highly respected. I admire him.”

“He sounds like a great man. You said that you father doesn’t have a crest, and yet you are a mage. A powerful one, too. That means you must have a crest, right? Did you inherit it from your mother?”

“Actually, I’ve never been tested to see if I have a crest. But, I guess I must have one.”

“Is your mother from an Alliance House too?”

“No, she’s not from a noble house. She was born somewhere in the Alliance and then moved to Albinea for a number of years before returning and settling down in the Leicester Alliance.”

“Wow! Your mother lived in Albinea?” Charles was amazed. “Oh yes, I remember now. You mentioned it to Prince Aldrich when we first met. She sounds very adventurous. Why did she leave Fodlan to go to Albinea?”

Iona paused for a moment, her brow was slightly creased. “That I do not know. She doesn’t talk about her past much.”

“I see. So, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you come here? To the Officers Academy? Was it because of your father?”

“Not really. I came here to improve my magic. My mother taught me black magic but her knowledge of white and dark magic was sparse. I want to be a mage who is proficient in both offensive, defensive, and support magic. I heard that this is the best place to be.”

“I see,” laughed Charles. “Well, you’re already a fairly powerful mage, I have no doubt you’ll be able to achieve all that and become even stronger.”

Iona chuckled. “Thank you, Charles. I’m sure you can become a strong, gallant knight too.”

“Say, after we finish up here, would you like me to introduce you to my friends?”

“From the Kingdom? Sure, that would be lovely.”

Charles smiled broadly. The two finished their duty quickly. After about 2 hours of raking droppings and carrying in fresh hay for the horses, they were finished. They washed up and then headed to the Knight’s Hall. The Knight’s Hall was close to the stables. Its primary use was as a secondary training ground for knights. However, inside there was a fire, some seating, and a small collection of books. It was an ideal location for trainees to meet up, train, and practice new techniques. It also served as a place to gather and socialise. The room was drab with no windows and only a fire and wall candles lighting it. The training area was near the entrance whilst the seating area and library was towards the back. A small group of nobles were sat around the table.

They all stood up as Charles and Iona entered the room.

“Charlie, there you are! We were wondering where you were. We thought you had ditched us for a lady…” The red-haired man’s voice trailed off slightly as his eyes rested on Iona. “…And we weren’t wrong! Nice catch, Charlie!” He looked Iona up and down and then turned to wink at Charles. He moved towards Charles and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “I knew you’d come around.” Charles began to blush bright red. He shook the red-headed man off and shot an angry glance at him.

“It’s not what you think, Sylvain. This is Iona von Daphnel, my House Leader. We were doing stable duty together.”

The grin on Sylvain’s face grew wider. “The House Leader? Well, well, well…Y-.” Sylvain was cut off mid-sentence. A young, blonde-haired woman had appeared by his side and buried her elbow into his chest. Sylvain let out a yelp and clutched his side.

“Don’t be such a pig, Sylvain. We have a guest.” She walked past Sylvain towards Iona and stretched out her hand. “I apologise for my friend. My name is Ingrid. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Iona took her hand and shook it. “I’m Iona. The pleasure is all mine.”

Two more people appeared behind Ingrid and stretched out their hands too. The first was the tall, blonde man she had seen at the opening ceremony. The second was a short, dark-haired man who looked like he didn’t want to be here.

“I’m Prince Dimitri, the Blue Lions Leader. It is truly lovely to meet you.”

“And I’m Felix,” said the dark-haired man. He then pointed to the red-haired man. “And that pest over there is Sylvain.”

“Please excuse him,” said Ingrid, looking a little embarrassed. “He has issues with self-control. I’ve had to put with him for years.”

“It’s fine,” replied Iona, shaking her head.

Dimitri gestured towards the seating area and everyone moved to sit down.

“So, how are you finding the Red Dragons, Iona?” asked Dimitri. “It must be difficult having so many people from so many different backgrounds. I do not envy your position.”

“Well, it’s difficult but it’s still early days. I’m sure everyone will learn to get along in time. Charles had helped me a lot these past few days.”

“Charles told us about what happened between Margaret and…Alex, was it?” said Ingrid. “I wonder why Margaret acted that way.”

“It’s obvious,” said Sylvain. “She’s just another entitled Adestrian who can’t handle having to mix with commoners. I’ve seen it before. There’s no cure. It’s sad to see such a beauty with such an ugly personality.”

“Come now, Sylvain,” said Dimitri, sternly. “We don’t know this woman or her circumstances. We can’t judge her on just this one incident.”

“I have to agree with the bonehead,” said Felix. “The Adestrian Empire is very different to Faerghus. The nobles there are brought up in a nationalistic environment which breeds nought but prejudice. They look down on commoners, too. It will take more than being classmates to get them to change their minds.”

“That’s not true,” said Charles. “The Black Eagle House has both nobles and commoners and I haven’t seen any infighting. In fact, I hear that Lady Edelgard and a commoner called Dorothea are on very friendly terms.”

“I agree,” nodded Iona. “I don’t think this is just because she is an Adestrian noble. There must be more to it than that. I take it there are no issues like this in your house, Dimitri?”

Dimitri shook his head. “No, at least not to my knowledge. And if anything did come up, I would try to resolve it.”

Iona sighed. “Perhaps I should speak to Margaret. I tried to the other day but she kept changing the subject. Have you spoken to her, Charles?”

“A little. But I have encountered the same problem. It’s like she’s put up a barrier around herself. As soon as I mention the incident, she blocks me. I’m not sure how to get through to her.”

“And what about the other girl? Alex? Have you spoken to her?” asked Dimitri.

Iona and Charles both nodded. “She doesn’t know why Margaret spoke out like that either. They have no previous history,” said Iona.

“What a predicament you find yourself in, Iona,” said Dimitri. “I know I’m not in your house, but I have experience in dealing with other people. If you ever need any help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that,” replied Iona.

“Now, enough about nobles and commoners and problems. I want to hear all about you, Lady Iona.” Sylvain smiled and winked at Iona, producing a red rose from inside his jacket. He reached over and handed it to Iona.

Ingrid’s elbow found itself inside Sylvain’s chest again, causing the rose between in his fingers to drop onto the floor. He yelled out in pain and turned around to face Ingrid. “What the hell, Ingrid? I’m just trying to be nice! Am I not allowed to talk to any women anymore??”

Charles and Dimitri laughed while Felix rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Serves you right, Syl,” laughed Charles.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I hope you all enjoy this work of mine.
> 
> *This work is inspired by the recent addition of the Ashen Wolves side story.  
> *All original characters are my own. A number of the original character names are Welsh due to my Welsh lineage.  
> *This is a work in progress so some Fire Emblem Three Characters may be incorrectly tagged or missed from the tag list.  
> *I will also draw on and use a lot of the information found in the four routes and side story from Fire Emblem:Three Houses so I have included the spoiler tag.  
> *I shall try to upload a new chapter every week.  
> *Also, I'm not much of a writer, I just really wanted to share this idea of mine with you all.
> 
> Anyway, enough from me. Enjoy!
> 
> If you have any questions, don't hesistate to ask!


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